Drone creator Parrot will begin selling its Jumping Sumo and Rolling Spider MiniDrones in the United States in August this year.
The Jumping Sumo will be sold for $159 and the Rolling Spider will be sold for $99. Both MiniDrones will be operated using digital apps.
The Jumping Sumo and the Rolling Spider were first unveiled by Parrot at the Consumer Electronics Show 2014 in Las Vegas last January, with the Rolling Spider then known as the MiniDrone.
The two remote-controlled robots, now collectively known as MiniDrones, will be operated through an iOS or Android app, with a Windows Phone app currently being developed and expected to be launched in the fall. The Jumping Sumo connects to the controlling app through Wi-Fi while the Rolling Spider connects through Bluetooth.
The Jumping Sumo's most prominent feature is its oversized wheels, which it uses to zoom around on the ground. Through the controlling app, users instruct the Jumping Sumo to move forward or backward, or do a quick 90-degree or 180-degree turn. Users can also set a path for the MiniDrone to follow, which the Jumping Sumo will move on once the action is carried out.
Users have several other options on the actions that they can instruct the Jumping Sumo to do, including a quick spin and tapping the MiniDrone's spring launcher onto the ground to do a hop, which is how the MiniDrone got its name.
A full charge gives the Jumping Sumo a battery life of 20 minutes. The MiniDrone also has a camera onboard which can stream its feed to the controlling app so that the user can see what the MiniDrone sees through its camera. The video that the camera collects can also be stored through a memory storage device that can be attached to the Jumping Sumo through the MiniDrone's micro-USB port.
The Rolling Spider, on the other hand, is a lightweight drone that has four small propellers. These propellers allow the MiniDrone to hover, rotate in the air and fly in any direction. It also has a pair of detachable plastic wheels at its sides that can be used to either move the MiniDrone while on the ground or as collision guards while the Rolling Spider is flying.
The maximum height for the Rolling Spider's flight is 10 meters, and while flying, its maximum battery life is at 8 minutes. While moving on the ground, the MiniDrone's battery life is extended to 20 minutes. Like the Jumping Sumo, the Rolling Spider also has a camera, but it is located at the bottom of the MiniDrone and can only take pictures.
Parrot is also planning to release a virtual reality drone known as the Bebop in the fourth quarter. The Bebop will use Oculus Rift technology to give users an experience as if they are flying alongside the Bebop.
